MDE User Case Study: CGG / ECOWind-ACCELERATE
To celebrate the use of marine industry data, we have created “MDE User Case Studies”
In this series of articles, we will be showcasing the different ways that data hosted on the MDE is helping to shape the future of our seas. From academics, to GIS experts, marine industry consultants and more, learn how YOU can shape the future of our seas, through open and accessible data & evidence.
"The collation of numerous data sources onto one platform with various filters to improve the user experience makes the Marine Data Exchange a valuable tool. If you are working on any UK marine-related project, I would highly recommend using the Marine Data Exchange as one of your primary sources of data.
Sharon MacAllan, CGG
Sharon MacAllan, CGG
As an MDE user Sharon MacAllan represents CGG alongside ECOWind-ACCELERATE project partners, National Oceanography Centre & Bangor University
CGG is a global geoscience and HPC technology leader that provides unique environmental intelligence through Earth science expertise, advanced data science, and cutting-edge technology. CGG draws upon a uniquely diverse range of capabilities to deliver critical environmental insight across the land, ocean and atmosphere including leading subject-matter expertise spanning climate change, biodiversity, natural capital, nature-based solutions, machine learning, advanced data analytics and Earth observation. CGG is acting as a special technical partner working alongside the National Oceanography Centre in an innovative consortium research project called ECOWind-ACCELERATE, led by Bangor University, to identify opportunities that benefit biodiversity and the conservation of species around offshore windfarms whilst also supporting windfarm developers to design long-term environmental monitoring strategies.
1. What industry are you in?
Earth science, data science and HPC technology.
2. What is your job title and role?
My name is Sharon MacAllan and I work for CGG Environmental Science. I am an environmental scientist with a focus on marine and coastal settings. I work with scientific research data in GIS to help develop innovative solutions through data science and technology to address the challenges currently faced in the marine environment.
3. What themes of data do you use on the Marine Data Exchange?
- Benthic ecology
- Birds
- Coastal processes
- Epifauna and fish
- Intertidal ecology
- Marine mammals
- Sedimentology
4. How do you use the data on the Marine Data Exchange?
I use the Marine Data Exchange to collate and analyse data to better understand environmental aspects for various projects. Data that, without the Marine Data Exchange, would be much more tedious to find and download.
Most recently, I have used the resources available on the Marine Data exchange as one of the main data sources. With the area filter, I was easily able to find data on the East Irish Sea to support the data mining process for the ECOWind-ACCELERATE project. The extracted data was used to understand the research area’s benthic ecology at various stages of offshore energy projects. This search was simplified using the theme filters which ensured that all data shown was potentially useful for the project. Additionally, the inclusion of file types in the summary was a time-saver as any files that required specialized software were not included in the data search.
